Tascam DM-24 User Manual
Digital Mixing Console
9101441500
QUICK START GUIDE
DM-24 Quick Start Guide
This quick start guide is designed to help you with some of the common operations that
you will need to perform with the DM-24.
Naturally, it cannot pretend to be a comprehensive guide to all the facilities provided on
this console, but we hope that it will serve its purpose in getting you started with the
DM-24 and give you some idea of the capabilities of the unit.
Before you get going
There are some common sense precautions which you should note before starting to work
with the DM-24.
• Keep the DM-24 on a firm, level surface. Make sure there is enough space at the rear
for cable connections, and for ventilation.
• Avoid very hot, very cold or very humid locations for the DM-24.
• Avoid eating or drinking over the DM-24—in common with all precision electronic
equipment, the DM-24 does not work well with spilled liquid or crumbs inside the
case!
• If possible, make the area where you work with the DM-24 into a smoke-free zone.
Smoke and dust are enemies of precision electronic devices.
• When you turn on the DM-24, the faders move several times to calibrate themselves
before returning to the position when the DM-24 was last turned off. This is perfectly normal, but you should make sure that there is nothing on the top surface of
the DM-24 which will stop the faders moving, otherwise the calibration process may
be inaccurate.
• When the DM-24 is in operation, do not cover the top surface, and make sure that the
heat sink at the rear of the unit is clear.
• Always use recommended cables and connectors with the DM-24, especially when
making digital audio connections.
• Always make connections to and from the DM-24 with the power turned off to all
units. This avoids possible damage to components, as well as avoiding “thumps”,
etc. through the monitoring system.
• If anything appears to be wrong with the DM-24:
• If an error message appears, make a note of it, as well as what you were doing
immediately prior to the problem occurring.
• Read the manual. It may well contain something which is relevant to the problem
you have encountered.
• If you have Internet access, visit the TASCAM Web site for the latest product
news, etc.
• Do not attempt to repair the DM-24 yourself. Arrange for it to be examined and
repaired by TASCAM-authorized service personnel.
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DM-24 Quick Start Guide
Connections to the DM-24
There are many recording devices that one might connect to the DM-24. In this scenario
we are using three DA-78HRs. Use this as a general guideline. You may not have the
same equipment, but this should help to serve as an example.
CR ROOM out to power
amp in
DTRS remote
control
S/PDIF 1 out to
DA-45HR in
Analog OUT to
2 TR return
Mic input
TDIF I/O
DA-45HR word sync
input from DM-24's
WORD SYNC OUT
Assignable sends and
returns are used to connect
with external processors
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DM-24 Quick Start Guide
Setting up the system
This system provides a full 24 tracks of 24-bit digital recording using three
TASCAM DA-78HRs, and mastering to 24-bit DAT using the TASCAM DA-45HR.
Points to note with this setup:
• The DA-78HR will act as the word clock master for the system. The word clock
signal is transmitted along the TDIF-1 connection to the DM-24. The DM-24
then transmits the word clock to the DA-45HR DAT recorder, using a dedicated
cable, with the DA-45HR being set to accept the word clock through this connection.
The WORD SYNC switch on the DM-24 should be in the left position (OFF/THRU).
• One cable carries eight channels of input and eight of output digital audio between
the DM-24 and the DA-78HR DTRS recorder.
Most common functions of the DTRS recorder are controlled from the DM-24
through the
with a terminator on its REMOTE OUT connector.
• The DM-24 contains two high-quality effect processors, but in this example, we are
showing how to connect an external effects processor.
The DM-24 contains its own dynamic processors. However, external dynamic
processors may be used with channel inserts or the assignable sends and returns.
• The CR outputs are used for monitoring in the control room. We have not shown any
separate studio monitoring here, but the STUDIO outputs are used to drive a studio
monitoring system (a headphone splitter box, for example)..
DTRS REMOTE CONTROL cable. The third DA-78HR must be fitted
Before switching on the DM-24, make sure that all connections have been made.
Follow the usual rule for switching on audio chains; from source to destination.
Word Sync
Then follow the steps below to set up the word sync clock on the system.
1 Set the DA-78HR to use internal word sync.
2 With the SHIFT indicator lit, press the
DIGITAL key.
The SHIFT key is a “smart” key. Press and
release quickly it to latch it on or off, or
press and hold it for longer to turn it on only
foraslongasitishelddown.
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DM-24 Quick Start Guide
3 If the screen at left does not appear, press
soft key 1 (the four soft keys are located
immediately below the screen).
Move the cursor to the
ENTER.
Set up the DA-45HR to accept external
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word clock from the digital input.
Mic/line inputs
Select mic/line inputs as the signal sources for channels 1 through 16.
1
With the SHIFT indicator lit, press the I/O
key and then soft key 1.
2 Ensure that the “patchcords” linking the sig-
nal sources to the channels, all connect the
appropriate M/L (mic/line) boxes with the
channels, as shown here.
If they do not (they are linking the lower
alternative source (return) to the channel):
Use the cursor keys to highlight the onscreen patchcord.
Use the dial to “repatch” the channel input.
Press
ENTER.
TDIF1 box and press
Press the CH 1-16 LAYER STATUS key
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followed by the SELECT key for CH 1.
Using the assign keys to the left of the
display assign CH 1to DIRECT out. Make
sure that none of the other assignment keys
are lit. Make sure channels 2-16 are
assigned the same way.
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